Stephen W. Litvin

Individualism/collectivism as a moderating factor to the self-image congruity concept:

Self-image congruity, the relationship between one’s self-image and one’s image of a product or service, is a widely accepted consumer behaviour theory lately finding currency in tourism literature. For tourism, as a global industry involving international tourists from varied cultural backgrounds, it is important to explore how the theory holds across a broad spectrum of cultures. To test the concept’s cross-cultural applicability, an exit survey which overlaid the concept of self-image congruity with Geert Hofstede’s cross-cultural dimension of individualism/collectivism was administered to vacation travellers from multiple cultures as they departed Singapore airport. The results affirmed the applicability of the concept of self-image congruity for tourism research and, extending this understanding, suggested that the concept enjoyed enhanced robustness when considered in conjunction with the cultural moderating variable of individualism/collectivism.

The destination attribute management model: an empirical application to Bintan, Indonesia

Abstract Marketing a destination requires an understanding of vacationer perception. The gap analysis provided by normal pre- and post-visit surveys represents a good starting point in evaluating how the visitor feels about the destination, but yields only part of the story. This paper suggests that two additional gaps should be evaluated: the gap between the general public and the purchaser, and that which exists between one-time and repeat visitors. Using Bintan Resorts, Indonesia, a relatively new self-contained resort development near Singapore, this paper provides a tool for evaluating these gaps, and at the same time provides an interesting view of Bintan, a destination that has set its sights upon becoming the “Hawaii of the Orient” (Yeow, [Singapore] The Straits Times , 17 September 1993, Money Section 47).

Heavy Users of Travel Agents: A Segmentation Analysis of Vacation Travelers

Like many businesses, travel agencies need to segment their markets and develop marketing strategies targeted toward specific groups of customers. One targeting strategy used successfully by both packaged goods and services marketers is to concentrate on the heavy-user segment. Our study describes heavy usage of travel agents based on a survey of 184 adults in Singapore. Compared with light users, the Singaporean heavy users of travel agents were found to be more involved with vacation travel, more innovative in their choice of vacation travel products, more enthusiastic about travel, more knowledgeable about vacation travel, more widely exposed to travel information from the mass media, and to travel more frequently for pleasure. Demographically, in contrast to some previous studies of other products and services, this study indicates that heavy users of travel agents exhibited differences from light users. The implications of these findings for travel agencies are discussed.

Spousal Vacation-Buying Decision Making Revisited across Time and Place:

Understanding family/spousal vacation decision making is important to tourism marketers. Twenty-five years ago, Jenkins divided the process into multiple subdecisions, such as where to visit or how much to spend, and studied how a sample of U.S. families allocated their decision-making responsibility for these decisions between the spouses. The current research, based on Jenkins’s work, uses recent data extracted from two sample populations, one from the United States and the other composed of Singaporean couples, to revisit the question. Whereas Jenkins found a large percentage of decision making to have been “husband-dominant,” the current studies each found a significant trend toward joint decision making. The article discusses the apparent trend and suggests, a generation after Jenkins’ work, how these new findings may be of value to tourism marketers promoting the family vacation product.

Tourism: The World's Peace Industry?

Is tourism a generator of peace or simply the beneficiary of peace? This article questions the often-stated claim of tourism as the worlds peace industry and asks whether there exists a causal relationship between tourism and peace or simply a co-relationship with tourism as a beneficiary, and not a cause, of peace.

Revisiting Plog's model of allocentricity and psychocentricity ... one more time.

Stanley Plog’s model of allocentricity and psychocentricity, a seminal tourism model, has been widely cited in the tourism literature and is included in virtually every hospitality and tourism text. At the same time, it has been scrutinized by a host of critics who questioned aspects of the model’s applicability and validity. This study of travelers’ vacation histories seeks to add to the research regarding this important model. The results present an interesting dichotomy, indicating that although the model does not really help to predict where travelers are likely to visit, it is highly effective in suggesting where they would ideally like to visit. These findings should be of significant value to tourism marketers and researchers attracted to Plog’s model.

E-Surveying for Tourism Research: Legitimate Tool or a Researcher’s Fantasy?

Tourism researchers continually seek to improve their primary data collection methods. With the spread of Internet and e-mail technologies, various researchers have begun to explore the potential and efficacy of electronic data collection. This article reports on a study that compared respondent data from two data sets based on the same survey instrument: the first, collected via a traditional mall-intercept-type data collection exercise and the second, an “e-sample” collected from random e-mail addresses. Analysis of the responses found similar travel psychographic characteristics but significant differences in demographics and travel patterns. The article concludes that while there seems to be legitimate potential for tourism research “e-surveying,” current logistical problems and issues of sample bias remain serious stumbling blocks precluding widespread use of the method.

Understanding Accommodation Search Query Formulation: The First Step in Putting 'Heads in Beds'

The internet affords enormous amounts of destination and accommodation information. A key tool relied upon to navigate the medium is the search engine. As such, accommodation marketers, primary target beneficiaries of this research, seek greater understanding of how search engine travel inquiries are conducted. Such knowledge would better inform online marketing campaigns and allow for more effective use of limited marketing dollars. This study analyzed 701 Excite.com accommodation search queries in order to identify such trends. The results suggest that travelers most often search for their accommodations simultaneously with other aspects of their travel, such as destinations, attractions, transportation and dining; and that most commence their search by seeking specific hotels in conjunction with their destination city. A sequential analysis also revealed the prevalence of switching behavior, with searches often reflecting swings between broad and focused research tacks. Marketing implications of these findings are discussed.

Tourism and understanding - the MBA study mission.

Abstract The literature suggests that limited attention has been paid to the international student market despite its growing volume. This study examines a particular segment of it, the MBA business study mission, which has received far less research attention still. Using participants of a university sponsored Middle East study tour group from Singapore as a test population, this paper discusses how attitudes and perceptions of students are affected by participation in such an in-depth tourism experience, and how this in turn has significant positive and negative impacts upon their attitudes towards their hosts and host countries.

Can a festival be too successful?A review of Spoleto, USA

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to study the impact of the Spoleto, USA festival on the Charleston, SC hotel industry. Anecdotal evidence indicates that, while the highly successful event has benefited the community as a whole, hotels have not shared in the good fortune festival organizers and university‐sponsored economic studies indicate should have accrued.Design/methodology/approach – Secondary data, obtained from Smith Travel Research, spanning four festival periods (2000‐2003), have been analyzed, comparing festival‐period hotel occupancy rates and average daily rates (ADRs) with non‐festival periods.Findings – Neither Spoleto‐period hotel occupancy nor ADR were enhanced by the festival. Analysis indicated that local hotels are not receiving the expected festival‐driven benefits. The numbers indicate that Spoleto has caused more potential visitors to avoid the city than it has attracted.Research limitations/implications – On a micro‐level, Charleston hotel and tourism officials learn about...